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SL Mississippi Braves

Game Info: Thursday, May 16 vs. BIloxi Shuckers: 6:35 PM CT: Trustmark Park

May 16, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (14-21) vs. Biloxi Shuckers (16-19)

Thursday, May 16, 2024 - 6:35 PM CT - Trustmark Park - Pearl, MS

Game 36 of 138 - Home Game 15 of 69 - 102.1 The Box - Bally Live - MiLB.tv

Starting Pitchers: RHP JJ Niekro (1-4, 3.98) vs. RHP Brett Wichrowski (1-0, 5.63)

Watch Live: Bally Live / MiLB.TV / MLB At Bat

Listen Live: 102.1 The Box

Streaming: Audio Link

Today's Roster Move

N/A

Today's Promotions

Thirsty Thursday™ Blues N' Brews: Mississippi Delta Blues will be featured throughout the game. The night will include the Trustmark Park staple Thirsty Thursday™ drink specials and Trivia in the Farm Bureau Outfield Grill. The M-Braves will salute the rich Blues Music history during the final season by wearing Mississippi Blues jerseys each Thursday home game at Trustmark Park.

Trucker Cap Giveaway: Thanks to Budweiser, the first 333 fans 21 or older will receive a Mississippi Braves Trucker Cap.

TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers continue a six-game series at Trustmark Park, the second series so far between the two teams in Pearl. This is the ninth of 30 meetings between the Mississippi rivals in 2024. The two will play next at Shuckers Ballpark, July 1-3, with the series shifting to Trustmark Park, July 4-6.

HOW SWEEP IT IS: For the second time this season, the M-Braves swept a doubleheader from Biloxi. Two of Atlanta's top three prospects, Hurston Waldrep (#2) and Spencer Schwellenbach (#3), dominated their respective starts en route to a Mississippi Braves sweep of visiting Biloxi at Trustmark Park on Wednesday night. Waldrep went the distance in the opener, allowing one run while striking out eight in the eight-inning 2-1 victory. In his Double-A debut, Schwellenbach struck out a career-high nine and scattered three hits and a walk over six frames in a 1-0 win. MLB's No. 75 overall prospect, Waldrep, set the tone in Game 1. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed six hits but didn't issue any walks. The M-Braves walked off in the bottom of the eighth via a sacrifice fly from Tyler Tolve. Drake Baldwin blasted his second home run of the year. In his first four innings, Schwellenbach struck out two batters per frame in game two. Yolbert Sanchez was 2-for-3, collecting an RBI in the second inning for the lone RBI of the contest.

MAGNOLIA STATE RIVALRY: The two Southern League clubs from the state of Mississippi began their rivalry in 2015 and have played 205 times since then. Biloxi leads the all-time series 109-96. Biloxi has taken the season series over Mississippi in six of the previous eight years.

HIS DOUBLE-A DEBUT WENT SCHWELL: Atlanta Braves No. 2 overall prospect Spencer Schwellenbach was promoted to Mississippi on Tuesday from High-A Rome. Atlanta's second-round pick in 2021 made his Mississippi debut in game two of the May 5 doubleheader against Biloxi. The right-hander struck out five of the first seven batters he faced and ended up with a career-high nine punchouts. He tossed 6.0 shutout innings on three hits, issuing just one walk.

THE MEJIA MAGIC: When RHP Ian Mejia takes the mound, the Mississippi Braves are 6-1 in his seven starts. Mississippi's opening-day starter ranks fifth in the Southern League with a 2.02 ERA, leading the league with 43 strikeouts. He also ranks among the league leaders in innings pitched (T-4th, 35.2), WHIP (9th, 1.07), and opponent's batting average (5th, .187). The 24-year-old has not allowed a run over his last two starts and 13.2 innings with 16 strikeouts to three walks. Mejia tossed 7.0 shutout innings, on two hits with one walk, and seven strikeouts on May 4 to earn Southern League Pitcher of the Week.

PRIME TIME PITCHING: The Mississippi pitching staff ranks second in the Southern League and seventh in Double-A with 328 strikeouts. The Braves rank seventh in Double-A with a 3.37 ERA.

WINNING WALDREP: RHP Hurston Waldrep, the Atlanta Braves' first-round pick in 2023 (24th overall), earned his first professional win on May 2, and is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA so far in May, adding 16 strikeouts to four walks. Waldrep tossed his second complete game in a doubleheader in game one on May 15 vs. Biloxi with a career-high 8.0 innings, scattering six hits, one run with no walks, and eight strikeouts.

HAYDEN HARRIS ON A ROLL: LHP Hayden Harris has a 0.71 ERA over 10 relief outings and 12.2 IP, five walks, and 20 strikeouts. The Augusta, GA native is 1-0 with four holds and 1-for-1 in save opportunities.

NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves lead Double-A in stolen bases with 69 (67-for-78) through 35 games. The club has five players who have reached double-digit steals. Geraldo Quintero and Cody Milligan lead the club and rank T-2nd with 14. Justin Dean is T-10th with 12, Nacho Alvarez Jr. is T12th with 11, and Cal Conley is T-13th with 10 ... The M-Braves logged a stolen base in each of the first 14 games of the season. Mississippi had 157 stolen bases last season and is on pace for 272 (2.0 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.

"NACHO" AVERAGE SHORT STOP: Atlanta's top-ranked position player prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., went on a 13-game on-base streak from April 13 to May 1, the longest by a Mississippi player this season. The 21-year-old leads the club and ranks sixth in the Southern League with a .385 OBP ... He ranks among the circuit leaders in walks (T-3rd, 19), and hits (T-9th, 31).

THE DEAN OF THE CLASS: Justin Dean's nine-game hitting streak from April 21 to May 2 was the longest by an M-Braves player this season. Dean leads the club with 16 RBI, and has played in 260 games for the M-Braves since 2021.

M-BRAVES REACH 1,200 WINS: The April 25, 13-3 win over Montgomery was Mississippi's 1,200th in franchise history. It took the M-Braves until the sixth game of the inaugural season in 2005 to win the first game in club history, which was an April 12, 2005, 7-4 win over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in game two of a doubleheader at Pringles Park. Jeff Francoeur was 0-for-3, with a walk and RBI, in the game, using a five-run sixth fueled by RBIs by Scott Thorman, Francoeur, and Derrick Gibson. Brian O'Connor got the win for Mississippi.

GIVE ME FIVE: The M-Braves are 13-11 in games when starters go 5+ innings and 1-10 when going less than 5. In the 24 games with 5+ innings, they have combined for a 1.97 ERA (32 ER/141.1 IP). In the 11 games of less than 5, the starter's ERA is 7.94 (35 ER/39.2 IP).

TOP PROSPECTS: According to MLB Pipeline, the M-Braves have six of Atlanta's Top 30 prospects. RHP Hurston Waldrep (No. 2), RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (No.3), SS Nacho Alvarez Jr. (No. 6), C Drake Baldwin (No. 11), LHP Luis De Avila (No. 20), and INF/OF Geraldo Quintero (No. 28) are included. In Baseball America's Top 30, OF Cody Milligan (No. 27), RHP Ian Mejia (No. 28), and INF Keshawn Ogans (No. 30) are included.

COACHING STAFF WITH A NEW FLO: After spending one season as manager of the Braves High-A affiliate Rome Braves (Emperors), Angel Flores will take the reins for the first time at the Double-A level, succeeding Kanekoa Texeira. Texeira was promoted to manager of the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers after Matt Tuiasosopo was named to the Braves' Major League coaching staff for 2024. Flores returns to Mississippi, where he served as bench coach in 2022. Flores took over as interim manager from April 26 to May 15, 2022, while Bruce Crabbe took a leave of absence from the club. During the 18-game stretch, the M-Braves went 10-8. During his first season as a full-time manager last year, Flores led the R-Braves to a 34-32 record in the second half and an overall 64-68 mark. Rome closed the year with a 21-15 record in August and September. Overall, he holds a 74-76 record as a manager.

MISSISSIPPI MADE: M-Braves outfielder Brandon Parker, a native of Saucier, MS, on the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product, became the first player to prep in Mississippi and play for the M-Braves since Austin Riley in 2017. Riley prepped at Desoto Central in North Mississippi ... Parker was a two-time All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Parker attended West Harrison High School.

FINAL SEASON IN MISSISSIPPI: On January 9, it was announced that after 20 years, 2024 will be the M-Braves' final season in Pearl, MS. As of the start of the 2025 season, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves will be relocating to Columbus, GA.

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Southern League Stories from May 16, 2024


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